Facts: The Swedish NATO application
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not yet ratified the Swedish and Finnish applications.
While the tone from Turkey has hardened, Hungary has signaled that the country has a positive attitude towards Sweden and Finland in NATO. An approval is expected in the Hungarian parliament this spring.
This summer, Sweden and Finland concluded an agreement with Turkey with a series of points that must be fulfilled in order for Turkey to give the green light to the countries’ NATO applications.
After the parliaments of all 30 NATO members approve Sweden’s and Finland’s application, the applicant countries’ parliaments must also approve the accession protocol, and send it to the US State Department. The USA then sends a letter to NATO and announces that the new countries have been admitted to the defense alliance.
According to Akar, Sweden is not doing what is necessary to fulfill the tripartite agreement that Sweden, Finland and Turkey entered into on the NATO process, writes English-speaking Hürriyet Daily News.
The Minister of Defense particularly highlights the recent protests against Turkey in Sweden.
— Because they do not follow the memorandum, heinous attacks are being carried out against Turkey, the president of Turkey – a NATO member for 71 years – and against the Holy Koran, a symbol of faith for billions of people, Hulusi Akar said on Sunday according to Hürriyet.
— What kind of logic is that? What kind of legislation is that?
He says that Turkey has been angered by insidious behavior.
— That is what Europe has done to us: they are trying to kick us under the table.
High pitch
In addition to the far-right provocateur Rasmus Paludan’s burning of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January, among other things the hanging of a puppet representing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has outraged several Muslim countries.
The tone has been high from the Turkish government in recent weeks. A few days ago, for example, Erdogan said that as long as Koran burning is allowed, Sweden cannot count on a yes to NATO entry.
On Sunday, Hulusi Akar also commented on the discussions in the US about a possible sale of the F-16 fighter jet to Turkey – a deal that has become a pawn in the game about Sweden and Finland’s application to the defense alliance.
“Alternatives to the F-16 exist”
Recently, 29 American senators demanded in a letter to President Joe Biden that a possible deal with Turkey should be put on hold until the country has ratified the Swedish-Finnish NATO entry.
Now Akar says there are more opportunities for Turkey than buying American F-16s.
“We expect common sense to prevail, that the US sees the big picture and acts based on it,” he says according to Hürriyet.
— We also say that the F-16 is not the only option.
Turkey has previously bought advanced weapons systems from Russia.
The relationship with the US and other NATO friends took a hit when the Turks acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system in 2017.
The US has since denied Turkey the purchase of the super-modern F-35 fighter jet.